Examination of Sexual Function Affecting Overall Satisfaction after Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy

• Published in: Kita Kantō igaku (The Kitakanto Medical Journal) Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 199 - 205
• Main Authors: Koike, Hidekazu, Sekine, Yoshitaka, Miyazawa, Yoshiyuki, Sawada, Tatsuhiro, Aoki, Masanori, Ohtsu, Akira, Fujizuka, Yuji, Arai, Seiji, Nomura, Masashi, Matsui, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Kazuhiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Kitakanto Medical Society 01.08.2023
• Subjects: prostate cancer; robot-assisted surgery; satisfaction; sexual function
• ISSN: 1343-2826; 1881-1191
• DOI: 10.2974/kmj.73.199

Purpose: We examined the effects of concerns regarding urinary, bowel, and sexual function on the overall satisfaction of patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Next, we investigated postoperative sexual dysfunction.Methods: We investigated 204 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy from June 2014 to December 2018 at Gunma University Hospital. The Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) was used to assess overall satisfaction, and urinary, bowel, and sexual function.Results: (1) Overall satisfaction was affected by concerns of urinary function in the first year, and concerns of sexual function in the second and third years after surgery. (2) 40 to 50％ of the patients had no sexual intercourse or had erectile dysfunction before surgery. (3) Although nerve-sparing procedures were a favorable factor, postoperative sexual function decreased overall except for some patients and recovery was poor. There was a positive correlation between preoperative and postoperative sexual function. (4) Patients with good preoperative sexual function had greater postoperative sexual function concerns.Conclusion: Sexual function concerns after radical prostatectomy become apparent after urinary function concerns are relieved, and become a burden to the patient. Before surgical therapy, we should ask carefully about the patient’s current sexual function and sufficiently explain postoperative sexual dysfunction.